Ric Bucher has always liked nothing more than breaking down guards, whether it be on a
playground or on paper. Here he does it for ESPN.com. We call it "On Guards" for obvious reasons. Look for this feature each Monday. Better yet, be on guard for it.
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| Van Exel |
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| Francis |
This week's feature guards: Houston's Steve Francis and Denver's Nick Van Exel.
Racing for a playoff spot is the mother of invention. Forget going with
what you do best -- if you're the team leader, you do whatever is needed, even
if it's out of your usual area of expertise. Not too long ago, the Nuggets
and Rockets had an equal shot at the West's last playoff berth. The
difference in their standing today has a lot to do with the play of their
respective point guards.
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RIC'S GUARD RANKINGS
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THE WEEK'S TOP 10
1. Jason Kidd - Shooting 48 percent since looking for his shot more, Suns win
5 of 7
2. Vince Carter - Shot 57.7 pct while still averaging 27.5, Raptors win 3 of 4
3. Steve Nash - Mavs beat Hornets and Jazz with him, lose to T-Wolves without
him
4. John Stockton - Freaky numbers: first in three-point shooting, second in
assists, 39 years old
5. Derek Anderson - Averaged 25.6 in three games before ignominious 7 vs.
Heat
6. Ray Allen - Contributes three double-doubles as Bucks win five in a row
7. Terrell Brandon - T-Wolves win four in a row, Brandon posts 3.75-1
assist/turnover ratio
8. Steve Smith - Keyed the Blazers' recent surge with timely perimeter scoring
9. Tim Hardaway - No wheels left, but savvy allowed him to bang 28 in win
over Spurs
10. Stephon Marbury - Shooting has fallen off, but still posted three near
triple-doubles
(Note: the weekly ranking is based on performances each week, not
overall)
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On the rise: Steve Francis
(19.9 ppg, 6.3 apg, 6.9 rpg, 1.9 stls, .449 FG, .840 FT, .399 3s)
He didn't make the All-Star team, but he's been so strong the last six
weeks he could (or should) make one of the All-NBA teams. I saw a drastic
difference in Francis last week compared to the start of the season. His
numbers haven't changed all that much -- although he's averaging a season-high
eight rebounds and 21.4 points a night in March -- but his grasp of when he
needs to get his teammates going and when he needs to take over has, uh,
rocketed. Despite aching from playing 40-plus minutes a night, he continues
to attack the basket, having failed only four times this season to get to the
free-throw line, the last time being Jan. 18. He's not afraid to launch 3s --
four a night -- but you never see him just pull up and fire early in the shot
clock or when he has an open look. I'd still like to see his 2-1
assist/turnover ratio improve, but I attribute that to Houston's up-tempo
game (since they don't have a bona fide post player), Francis' willingness to
make the early pass (the assist on the assist) and Rudy Tomjanovich often
using him as a 2-guard in order to play Moochie Norris. His turnovers are a
product of aggression more than selfishness or sloppiness. Jason Kidd and
Stephon Marbury best beware, or Francis will overtake them as the league's
best point guard.
On the slide: Nick Van Exel
(17.5 ppg, 8.5 apg, 3.4 rpg, .9 stls, .408 FG, .824 FT, .371 3s)
Maybe it's not fair comparing a No. 2 pick to a second-round draftee, but
since Van Exel is making lottery-pick coin and is his team's leader, I'm
going to do it. I think Nick the Quick is far more cerebral than he's given
credit for, but his play down the stretch this season reflects why I'd have a
hard time building my team around him -- he doesn't adjust. Unlike Francis, he
will launch 3s on the break or go for the dagger trey at times when it's not
necessary -- say, when the Nuggets have rallied to take a slim early
fourth-quarter lead. If he nails the shot the other team still has time to
recover and if he misses the opponent is fast-breaking the other way to take
that lead away again. The numbers indicate he hasn't been making too many of
those bombs lately, missing his last 13 in a row and shooting 27.5 percent
beyond the arc in March. Even worse, he's stopped attacking the basket,
failing to shoot a free throw in two of his last four games and 11 times
overall this season.
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| Kidd |
This week's guard to watch: Jason Kidd, Suns
He's clearly made it his personal mission to preserve
the Suns' playoff berth and put the domestic incident with his wife Joumana
firmly behind him. Lo and behold, now that he's taken a more aggressive
approach to shooting the ball, his stroke has returned.
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ALSO SEE
On Guards (Dooling, Cleaves), March 19
On Guards (Allen, Stackhouse), March 13
On Guards (T. Hardaway, Atkins), March 5
On Guards (Marbury, K. Anderson), Feb. 28
On Guards (Terry, Hughes), Feb. 19
On Guards (S. Smith, R. Harper), Feb. 6
On Guards (Brandon and R. Strickland), Jan 29
On Guards (Hunter and E. Strickland), Jan .22
On Guards (Francis and Eisley), Jan. 16
On Guards (McKie and N. Anderson), Jan. 7
On Guards (Rose and McGrady), Dec. 28
On Guards (Bibby and Jackson), Dec. 18
On Guards (Stockton, Blaylock), Nov. 27
On Guards (Nash, A.Miller), Nov. 20
On Guards (Anderson, Billups), Nov. 13
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